While You Were Sleeping
by RedHeero
Summary: In Hyrule, though Link opened the Temple of Time and grew to become the Hero of Time, there were seven years that the people of Hyrule were left without a hero. This is the tale of one such family that stuggled in these years for their very survival.


Hi, and welcome to my first story on . Not to say that I've never written fanfiction before, but let's just say that those are best left forgotten to the forges of the internet. This story I have here was inspired by various sources, the first and foremost being Zelda: Ocarina of Times itself. The next, and is a large basis of where this story takes place, is the Z:OOT the Manga. Though the manga is mostly just a summary, it has certain events, and back stories that were not in the game. The first major one you'll notice in my story is that there is a festival taking place early on, and Talon is not immediately in the castle. But other then that it's pretty much the same.

The second thing to note is that this story is not about Link. Though saying anymore would be a spoiler. So please enjoy this little story I have created, and I hope my skills as a writer always continue to improve as I write. Also if anyone wants to be my editor feel free to ask… I need it………

"**Don't wake me up, I am still dreaming…" ~The Hush Sound**

"Once there was a young boy who lived in the forest, who did not have a fairy. This, is not his story…"

While you were

sleeping…

Chapter One: Before a Deep Sleep

The sun shone brightly on the vast field of Hyrule. Though many battles and wars had once darkened the green fields of the land years before, no sign of off such darkness showed on the plains, nor fear in the people that lived there. These days the people of Hyrule, and the lands that surrounded her enjoyed the peace that their mighty King had brought them, when he united the land. With farmers free to plow, and children allowed to adventure, the lands thrived, and trade ran freely between Castle Town, and all who had something to sell. Birds chirped and flew about in song, occasionally bobbing next to the travelers that came and went on the main roads.

Though many traveled the roads, it is not true that trade came from all the lands that surrounded Hyrule. In the mountains, the Gorons, the great people that called the rocky cliffs and the unstable volcano their home, had become like hermits of late, holding themselves up in their lairs, with rarely a soul coming too and from. It was rumored that the King had even closed the gates to the mountain paths.

Up the river from Castle Town lived the fish people, the Zoras. Though it had always been rare to see one walking about the land, as it was said that they always needed to be close to their watery home, now the Zoras had completely sealed the entrance to their underwater kingdom. One rumor has it, that they will see no one but a representative of the King himself.

One land that no one was surprised to not hear from was the Great Forest. Legend has it that a tribe of forest people dwell deep in the trees, but any that had ever wandered into the forest never returned, thus people began to call those woods, The Lost Woods. Though the people of Hyrule always logged on the outer reaches of the forest, the King himself had forbidden any cutting of trees deeper in it, not that any would wish to wander that far in to cut a tree. It is said that during the Great Wars, when the great King of Hyrule united the land, that there were many that fled into the forest to escape the fires of war. But to this day no one has ever been reunited with a loved one that fled there.

But all of this talk is mostly old-wives tales, and gossip of the town. If one were to look at the records of the past, they would find that the Royal Family has sent many groups into the forest. Unfortunately the purposes of those travels are not known to those outside the castle, and are kept a heavy secret by the Royal Family. To be fair though, it has been many years since any have been sent there, so perhaps the rumors of that place from the wars are true after all.

The last land to mention is the lands of the great desert. Though Hyrule has had many relations with the lands there and its people, because of the harsh climate, and the sheer vastness of the desert, it has caused there to be many people within its realm, most unfriendly. In the last few decades the dessert tribes have been at war with one another, and most trade frozen, as trading with one warring tribe would make one the enemy of the other, most kingdoms have opted not to trade with them at all.

All that has changed within the last few years. Recently, the once reclusive tribe of thieves, the Gurudos, came upon the land, and destroyed the warring tribes. Though not fully uniting the land, they have successfully ended all of the fighting, as no other tribe with oppose them now. After this feat, the King of this tribe came to Hyrule, and it is said that he plans to pledge his loyalty to our King. Many are speculatively of this, but no one wishes to go against the will of our Great King.

The truth of this matter though, is that now trades are flowing far greater and more freely out from the land, with travelers free from worry to visit these lands of desert. A once isolated region in years past, with trade now flowing from the area, we can only speculate as what this will mean for our Kingdom…

A young girl reading a book yelped from a kick from her brother, almost dropping the book onto the road. She quickly regained the book and placed it safely beside her in the front of the moving cart she was in, and turned furiously to her little brother. "What was that for!?" she yelled at him, her fists raised above her head, as she stood balancing herself on the swaying cart.

The little boy grinned at her, but with a huff at her words, folded his arms and pouted. "I figur'd it was tha only way ta get yur attention. What with yer nose all stuck in a stup'd book." With another look of defiance to his elder sister he stuck his tongue out at her.

The girl mimicked his pose and huffed herself and crossed her arms, only this didn't quite have the same effect since she still had to balance herself on the swaying cart. "For your information, this book is the latest news from around the whole kingdom! Only smart people who know what's going on in the world are allowed to read it."

The boy grinned again, this time with a mischievous look. "Then why'r ya read'n it?"

The girl lunged at her little brother, managing to catch him in a head lock, but he resisted and squirmed. Added with the sway of the horse and cart, they both lost their footing and fell to the ground below. Ignoring the fall, they continued to fight with one another on the ground.

The older man that had been sitting beside the girl, who had been driving the horses, grinned and laughed and the sibling quarrel. This was not the first time these two had been at it during the trip. He smiled knowingly at the two, not worried about how they had dirtied up their once clean clothes. He slowed the cart to a stop to avoid leaving them behind, and turned to call them, "Lily, Nathan, if you don't hurry up, we'll be late meeting with your father." The two children jumped up and forgot their battle, as if it had never happened, and ran back up to the cart and jumped in.

Lily and Nathan were the children of a professor in Castle Town. They all used to live in the city, but some years ago after Nathan was born, the Professors wife became deathly ill, and it was determined that it was the city life making her ill. So she was sent out to live in the county, taking Nathan with her, as he was still far too young to live without his mother. Lily was left to live with her Father in the city.

Because of her Father's profession, Lily too was educated. Not only that, she had a great fascination with learning. Any book, text, or knowledge she could get her hands on she learned with obsession. Her interests ranged from mathematics, to gardening, to swords and armor. Her brother Nathan on the other hand grew up most of his life in the country, on an out-of-the-way farm. He had no interest in learning, or even in the world around him. Because of these clashing ideals of the sibling, they also usually clashed physically.

Lily herself was thirteen years of age, just a few years shy of marrage. Her long blond hair, which she always kept in a braid, was a mark of her Hylian ancestry, as well as her long elvin ears, and bright blue eyes. She was of moderate beauty for her age, but for all her book reading did not lessen her slight but tough build. She often wore a thin white shirt and blue and brown vest. Most girls her age wore long skirts, but she herself always had on a pair of loose and baggy, light purple pants. On her wrist she wore a simple metal bracelet her Father had given her, with the symbol of her Father's collage where he worked gilded in a circle in its center. She was very proud of the bracelet, showing it to any that took notice of it.

Nathan on the other hand was of only seven years of age. His short blond hair was cropped in the style of a working country boy. He often fiddled with his long eyes, or rubbed his light blue eyes from the sun. He wore a simple white shirt with a small brown vest. His brown shorts were ripped in several places, and had the look of having been repaired many times. Unlike his sister he didn't wear any shoes or trinkets.

Though they lived apart, at least once a year either Lily was sent to their Mother's farm, or Nathan was sent to Castle Town. In recent years because of the Professors schedule and their Mother's health, neither had been sent out. This would be the first time in three years that they had been together. This year Nathan was going to come to the city to live for a few months. Lily had been out in the country for a few weeks, observing the harvesting, and creation of paper in a nearby workplace out in Hyrule field. Since they were both out in the field already, the Professor had just sent an old friend of his to retrieve them.

As they neared closer to the city, the two had gotten into the back and were still squabbling. Something about no one wanting to wed an educated woman. The cart got into a line of other carts that were waiting to cross over the bridge into Castle Town. The sun was just starting to go down on the horizon, and every cart that needed to be in the city for the night was scrambling in, before the gate would be closed.

The cart driver turned back to the quarreling siblings and placed one hand on each of their heads, "Now I don't mind ya two fightin' like sibs shoold, but best hav yer manners in tha city. Don't wanna shame yer Papa now do ye? And Lily old girl, yer a good seven years on the lil' boy. Why don't yeh let 'im say what 'e say and be the lil' book read'r yer Pap so proud of."

Lily, suddenly realizing how childish she had been, sat down in a pout in the back of the wagon. She picked back up her precious book and put it to her head pretending to read, trying to hide her embarrassment. Nathan on the other hand had finally realized where they were, and looked about the city entrance with a young country boy's wonder. Though he was a mere four years old when he was last in the city, he had a vague impression of everything around him. But now since he was older he watched the coming and goings of the people with wonder. There were people and carts, and soldiers all over, coming in and out of the city. They all walked across the great lowered city gate, that acted as the bridge to the city, spanning across the vast city moat that ran along the front of the cities towering walls. On top of the wall were archers, and soldiers lighting the evenings torches. And even amongst the crowd of people were all kinds of races from all over the lands of Hyrule. Any quarrel with his sister long forgotten in a little boy's fascination with the new and unknown.

Lily on the other hand had put away her book, tired with trying to read it in the dimming light of the sun. She ignored the running about of her happy brother in the cart, and idly looked out into the crowd of people passing her. She had been in and out of the city all her life, and was bored with the same old comings and goings of the people there. She always found the things in her books far more exciting, though she had at times stopped and listened to the tales of travelers from far away. Even as she heard about strange and exotic places and things far away from Hyrule she never really took any interest in them. What could be more exiting then the great library at her Father's collage.

She looked out to a cart beside her, it belonged to the horse and cow farm way out in the middle of Hyrule Field, Lon Lon Ranch, delivering milk. She had seen it many times coming and leaving the city before, Lon Lon milk was some of the best milk in all of Hyrule field. But the cart wasn't what caught her eye. Hovering around the cart was a glowing ball with wings, no she looked closer, was that actually a little person? She pulled out her notebooks in her handbags and fervently scanned through them. There, right on her notes, that thing floating there must be a fairy! Just like in the stories she had read! But didn't they say that fairies lived in the Great Forest.

She watched the fairy intensely as it flew around quickly and then just hovered, seemingly talking to someone. That someone turned out to be a young boy, not much older then her own brother, wearing a strange set of green clothes and a green hat. Even more then that she could see that this little boy had a dagger and shield on his back. She wondered what kind of parent would let their child have such items. Wait, didn't the owner of Lon Lon Ranch have an only daughter? She wondered to herself if this must be a child from the tribe in the forest.

Before she could wonder anymore, the cart she was on lumbered forward and had its turn to cross over the bridge, and lumber out of sight. The sights and sounds of a city in mid festival greeted them as they crossed through the grand gates of the city. Around them folks reveled around stalls, and various events. Nathan, and even Lily, jumped about the cart in wonder at the revelry going on around them. But they were not able to take part in any of these joys, for their Father would be waiting for them. They slowly rolled out from the courtyard's festival, and began moving into the nicer housing areas of the city.

They drove up, and stopped in front of a mid-sized house, with a small gate in front. The driver hopped down and helped Nathan and Lily out of the cart, and tied up the horse to the gate. He ushered the two of them through the gate and up to the door. Lily looked rather displeased to have to be shown up to her own house by the man. The driver went to knock on the door, but before he could Lily opened it and rushed into her home. "I'm home!" she shouted out looking around for her Father. "Papa?" she repeated.

The driver coughed and pushed the shy boy in front of him into the house. Lily ran about from room, to room, to room, looking around. "Papa!?" she repeated louder.

Out from the kitchen they heard the grumblings of a woman coming towards them. Their housekeeper, an older Hylian woman, with a large build, and uncommonly dark hair came to greet them. She wiped her hands on her apron from what looked like the signs of dinner in progress. "Lily girl, quit making all that racket. Why can't you just knock on the door like a proper lady. Make any more fuss and the neighbors will be complaining, well hello." This last statement was to the cart driver, as the old maid noticed he was standing there. Lily walked over to her maid and gave her a hug, and promptly asked her where her Father was.

The maid ignored Lily's question and turned to the cart driver. "It was so nice of you to bring the little ones home. Tell me, how is there Mother."

The man scuffed his shoes and looked at the floor. "Well she's seen bett'r days," suddenly remembering the boy in front of him he added, "but doin' as well as she can. It seems that country lif' agrees with her."

Lily noted that it was odd that ever since they had entered the city, the driver had been trying to hide his country accent, and doing a poor job of it. But she really didn't care and repeated her question to the maid.

The maid, still ignoring Lily, bent down to look Nathan in the eyes. She smiled as kindly as she could, and spoke pleasantly to him. "Hello, little one, "Nathan shyly clung to the driver's leg, "You may not remember me, but I've known you since you were born. Why I helped your Mother in the delivery."

At this, Nathan took his face out of the driver's leg and looked at her with a little smile. "You know my Mama?" he said in a small voice. She smiled bigger and nodded a yes to him.

Lily had had enough of being ignored. She leaned over, right in-between Nathan and the maid and shouted, "Helloooo! Where is my Father Nanally!?"

Nanally the maid stood up and grabbed Lily by the ear, shouting at her, "Good gracious girl, have you no manners. Your little brother just got here; you should be making him welcome, not stomping about on your own. I swear you may know a book inside and out, but you just have no common sense or smarts at all. That's why I said you should be taught lady lessons, not things for old men and studies."

Though Lily had heard this argument many times from her maid, with her ear firmly in Nanally's hand, she was forced to nod along with her agreements. At this little spectacle Nathan laughed and laughed at his sister's little predicament. But at one glance from the old maid he quickly clammed up.

The old driver laughed, and gave a light bow to the maid. "I'll take my leave me. Young Master, Misses, Madam, have a nice night." He tipped his hat one last time, and Nathan watched him leave with a little regret. In the short time he had known the driver he had come to like him a lot, a lot more then his sister as well.

The maid gave a little knowing sigh, and a sad look, as she turned back to go to the kitchen. She didn't turn to look at Lily but said over her shoulder, "Lily girl, your Father is in his study, now don't just run off," she said to Lily as she was about to dart up the stairs, "Your Father is with a college of his, and MAKE SURE to take your brother along. He doesn't know the house yet, and showing up to see your Papa without him is just rude to all of you. Now get going, the day's a wasting."

Nathan was marveling at the house he was in now, though not near as big as some of the houses in Castle Town, it was still far bigger then his home in the country, and so strangely decorated, with odd city smells all around. Lily tried to motion to him to follow her, then gave him a smack on his head when he ignored her calls. Tired from the long day, instead of continuing the argument from the cart, he stood there and was about to cry. But Lily grabbed hold of his hand and dragged him up the stairs towards the study.

She was pulling him too hard, so he squirmed out of her grip. They were in the upstairs hallway, and a shield and sword were displayed on the wall, which he had to stop and stare at. Lily was about to give him another smack for not following her, but really she didn't want him there anyways, and just continued down the hall without him.

Though there arrival wasn't what could be considered quiet, she knew how her Father usually gets when he's in his study, and figured that he probably hadn't notice them come yet. So she snuck down the hall as stealthily as she could muster, and approached the door to the study, in an attempt to surprise her Father. Lucky for her, the door was cracked a bit open so she could peak inside.

Inside the room she saw her Father sitting at his desk, with his usual mountains of books around him. But even though Nanally had told her that someone was there with him, she was startled to see the other man that her Father was talking too. She couldn't see any feature of this man, only that he was tall, and wore a thick, black cape and hood, that covered every part of his body.

At first her Father had been talking quietly to the man, as if he feared to utter the subject to loud. But at a comment the man uttered, that Lily couldn't hear, her Father jumped out of his seat and stood up, knocking over a pile of book sin the process. His face was one of anger and fear as he yelled out at the man, "Just what do you plan to do? What are the nobles planning, what is THAT MAN planning for this kingdom!?" At the utterance of this he slammed his fist onto his desk.

The man in the black cloak raised his voice a little, dripping with venom. "It would be wise for you not to ask those questions, Professor." Lily startled back at the strangeness to the man's voice, like something wasn't quite right about it. The man must have heard and turned to look at the door. "It seems my time here has run short, thank you for you time," With the next words he added icily, "and your cooperation." He turned and started to walk out the door.

As he opened up the door, he looked down to see Lily standing there. Lily froze and just stared up at the strange man. She couldn't see his eyes in the dark hallway, through his hood, but his piercing red eyes, sent shivers through her. The man quickly left the house, slamming the front door closed, to the many shouts of Nanally. Lily turned to look back at her Father, who had sat back down, and had his head on his arms, on his desk.

Lily stared at her Father for a moment, unable to comprehend what her Father had just gotten himself into. But in her childish mind she knew how strong her Father was, and that whatever it was, he would be able to overcome it, and stand the victor in the end. Just like the characters in her stories.

But she didn't want to needlessly bother her Father, now that he seemed upset, and she walked back down the hall to grab her little brother's hand. He had been starring at the stranger as he left, and was still starring at the door, so he didn't protest as much as he did before when Lily grabbed him. Just before they got to the door Lily stopped and looked her brother up and down, noting the dirt that was all over him from when they were fighting, and tried in vain to wipe some of it off. She banged her own clothes off, being a little more successful in her own personal efforts. She straitened a little of her own hair, then grabbed her brother's hand once more, and lightly knocked on the door and let herself in.

He Father was still on his desk and hadn't noticed her knock or enter. After waiting a few moments, and a few times of clearing her throat, she got up her courage and addressed her Father. "Papa, we're home."

He got up in a little start and looked at the two standing in front of him. Lily now had a good look at his face, and realized that the last few weeks she had been gone had taken their toll on him. He looked much older then she remembered, with thin lines running along his face. Lily thought that it must have been the business with the strange man that must have done this to him, but put it out of her mind. It must have just been that he had been forgetting to eat again while she was gone. He never took care of himself when she wasn't around, that's all it was.

Lily put on her biggest smile, letting go of her brothers hand she repeated herself in far more cheer. "I'm home Papa!"

The look that he had on his face earlier disappeared, and turned to joy as he stood and welcomed his daughter back home. He embraced her in a big hug and remarked about how much she had grown since he last saw her, as well as how dirty she had gotten in the country, and if she was eating properly she looked too thin, and even though it was fashionable it wasn't very healthy.

After his greetings, and Lily's delight to be welcomed back so heartily, he finally noticed the shy boy, standing a bit back from Lily where she had let go of his hand. He stared at him for a long time, as a Father that barely knew his son, and a son that barely remembered his son. That stood in silence for a time. He quickly and lightly spoke, "Welcome home Nathan."

Nathan starred at him for a little longer, afraid of this strange, well spoken man, so stiff and formal, completely different from all the country men he had ever known. He stuttered back to him in his heavy little country boy accent. " 'Ello Papa."

The Professor's face looked pained as he heard his son speak, and raised his hand to his chin and rubbed it. "Oh, I see. You've picked up the accent of the uneducated," he said with clear displeasure. Nathan was sent back by his words, as is physically stung. The Professor bent down on one knee to look his son in the face. "Tell me, have they yet taught you even some basics of math, or of the world around you?" Nathan nodded his head back and forth slowly.

The Professor stood up looking very displeased with this information. "That is a sad state of affairs, even a child as young as you should have some kind of education. With your mother's health she can't be blamed for not teaching you, if only those country yolks could see more then their own barrels of hay, this wouldn't be such a problem." Nathan looked at his shoes, like a little boy that had just been caught being naughty.

His Father ignored him and turned back to Lily. "Lily, please take him to Nanally. She should have his room ready by now. As to the affairs of his education I must think on it, but at a later time, I'm far to busy at the moment for such trivalties. What are you waiting for girl, hurry out. Keep me not from my work." With that he ushered her out of the room, and she left unwillingly, dragging her brother out with her. She took him downstairs and back into the kitchen to where the maid had just finished preparing dinner.

Nathan and Lily ate their meal in the dinning room along with Nanally. The Professor had not come to eat dinner with them, claiming to much work to be done. The meal was spent with much fussing of the maid over Lily's soiled clothes, and Lily's own complaints about having to look after a 'rude little boy.'

When the meal was done, Nanally lead Nathan up the stairs, with Lily running ahead to her own room. She opened her door wide and slammed the door closed, only to run out a moment later flustered again. Lily marched up to the maid in a demanding tone, "Nanally, what is with the other bed that has been put in my bedroom!?"

The knowing maid put her hand on Lily's head and pattered her. "Why that's where little Nathan is to sleep, of course."

Lily batted away the hand on her head, more irritate then before. "Why is he to be in MY room!? We have plenty of unused rooms!"

Her the old maid put her arms together and pouted herself. "No we SHOULD have plenty of unused rooms. Have you forgotten that your father has filled them all to the brim with books! Why it's a wonder this house hasn't collapsed in yet." This last comment she said more to herself then to Lily.

Lily raised her arms in a tiff, "But why MY room? We have a couch, let him sleep there. He's certainly small enough."

Nanally put her hand to her face in a gasp. "Heaven forbid child, you'd rather your own dear brother sleep in the waiting room. Just what's gotten into that head of yours? All your manners must have left while you were in the country. He's staying in your room, and that's final."

Lily still pouting at her words turned and stormed back into her room. Nathan stood in the hall not knowing what to do, but with a little push from Nanally he was forced into the bedroom. The old maid then shut the door and proceeded down the stairs.

It was not a small room, with a large window at the end, and two big dressers. Lily was pouting on a big bed in the corner, and a smaller bed had been set up on the opposite side of the room. A large looking glass was propped up in the other corner, and a little table with two chairs lay in the direct middle of the room. Nathan walked slowly over to the smaller bed that had been set up for him. He remarked to himself just how much nicer this bed was from the one he had in the country, but he longed for the smell of hay in his own bed. The bed that lay just a little ways away from his Mother.

Lily bolted up to a sit in her bed and shouted at him, "You can sleep there for now, but don't get comfy! After all you're not going to be here very long. You'll be back in Hicksville where you belong!"

Nathan turned away from his fuming sister, and walked over to the window. It was closed shut, but he could still hear a little of the festival that was going on in the town square. Everywhere he looked out was buildings and lights as far as he could see. He looked towards the sky to find the stars that he loved so much, but was dismayed to be unable to see very many from the lights of the city.

Nathan put his hands to his face and began to cry. Lily stared at her wall for a time, trying to ignore the bawling child, but after a few minutes gave up trying to pretend he didn't exist and got out of her bed and walked over to him. She put her arms around him and sat on the floor, as her small brother cried out for everything that had once been familiar to him.


End file.
